Most insulation materials provide relatively homogeneous insulation characteristics over a large length or area of the material. However, and especially where the insulation material is flexible, gaps of varying width between two or more sides of adjacent insulation elements often occur during installation and considerable loss of insulation will occur.
While such gaps between insulation elements can be eliminated by allowing for overlap of the elements during installation, such method is not always desirable. For example, where the overlap is relatively large, the overhanging end may consume too much space. On the other hand, where the overlap is relatively small, the overlap is often sewn or otherwise fixed to the remaining insulation material that tends to increase time for installation. Moreover, where the overlap is fixed to the remaining insulation material, thermal expansion of the elements may be restrained.
In still other known manners, the gap may be filled with a second insulating material to block heat escaping through the gap. Such approach is conceptually simple and often effective. However, gap filling typically requires an additional installation step and tends to create a weak spot due to the difference in material property and/or configuration.
Therefore, while various manners of coupling insulating materials are known in the art, there is still a need for improved thermal seals and methods therefor.